Jose Butto hurls gem vs. Royals to keep maximizing his Mets chance

When he had a chance to win a spot in the rotation in spring training, Jose Butto lost out to Tylor Megill.

Now that he’s getting another chance, with Megill having joined Kodai Senga on the IL, Butto is making the most of it.

The 26-year-old right-hander was excellent again in his second start with the Mets this season, as Butto pitched six scoreless innings and struck out a career-best nine hitters in a 2-1 win over Kansas City on Sunday at Citi Field.

“He’s gonna get another opportunity,” Carlos Mendoza said of Butto, with Senga still not close to returning. “He’s going to continue to get the ball. He’ll get his chance and it’s good to see somebody stepping up and taking advantage of it.”

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On a day in which the Mets honored Dwight Gooden and retired his No. 16 , Butto went out and struck out the side in order in the top of the first.

He allowed just two hits, a leadoff double to Salvador Perez in the second and a two-out double to Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth.

“I have a lot of confidence right now,’’ Butto said. “I just have to continue to keep working.”

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It’s that mentality that stood out to Mendoza after Butto lost out to Megill in spring training and was sent to Triple-A Syracuse.

“He came into camp ready to compete,’’ Mendoza said. “Our first conversation, he knew there was a competition and he threw the ball really well.”

That hasn’t changed in the early going, as he allowed just one run in six innings in his other start with the Mets this season, when he was the 27th man in the second game of a doubleheader against the Tigers on April 4 and then again on Sunday.

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“He’s not scared and he’s not afraid,” Mendoza said. “He’s gonna attack hitters.”

Butto also impressed Mendoza with his mentality after pitching well in the final month of last season and again in spring training, only to get sent back to the minors.

“Dealing with adversity and not making the team out of spring training, he put his head down, continued to work, wait for his turn and that’s what he’s doing,” Mendoza said. “Here he is.”

Butto has outperformed the rest of the more experienced arms in the rotation, putting up better numbers than Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana and Adrian Houser, as well as Julio Teheran.

Harrison Bader, who drove in the go-ahead run for the Mets in the eighth inning, said he’s noticed Butto’s “poise” in their brief time together, while Mendoza liked Butto’s ability to get back into counts after falling behind on Sunday.

“I just want to prove I can do my job and when I get an opportunity, I want to be ready [and] be healthy,” Butto said.

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